[felipeccastro]

I’m assuming that Python code base didn’t have thorough type hints. What if it had? Would Go still feel safer? I know these aren’t checked in runtime, but Python type system seems more thorough than Go’s, so shouldn’t a Python code base fully typed be even safer than Go? If so, why not?

(I know Python type checks aren’t mandatory, but for this question assume that the type checker is running in CI)

[Mawr]

You're hand-waving the insane amount of effort that would be required to type every bit of Python code that gets executed. You get that by default in statically typed languages.

Even then, you're reliant on the correctness of a 3rd party tool vs a 1st party compiler. It's never going to be as good of an experience.

[misiek08]

You mean compiler vs client reporting issues? Never safer.

[felipeccastro]

Yes, but in practice, is the difference significant enough to matter? I’m genuinely looking to see if I’m missing anything when favoring Python type system over Go’s.

[pnathan]

Since Python type checking is functionally optional, it implies that somewhere, somehow, someone has opted out, or has used a type checker that differs subtly but unpleasantly from the one you're using. Python's type checker systems are fundamentally a _linter_ more than something like Java or C...or Rust.

It's not about feeling. It's about the theorems you can make about the codebase. With Python the answer actually is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.